Brazil, Argentina, hosts Germany, France and Italy are all put in their place by England's array of world-class centre-backs. Eriksson's job is to determine which two of his talented crew should be given a starting role, who should be left on the bench, and who must stay at home.

He may even choose to use one of the following as the crucial holding midfielder. Ledley King has played there and Rio Ferdinand looked totally at ease playing there for Manchester United in the FA Cup at Wolves.

Below we look at the strengths and weaknesses of England's seven leading central defenders and consider which pairing should be first choice in Germany.

Rio Ferdinand:
Comfortably the most stylish defender available to Eriksson and highly capable with the ball at his feet, which is why he has suddenly become a contender for the holding midfield role too. Helps England's build-up play with an ability to step out of defence, and in this respect he has no equal among the contenders.

Looks to have overcome criticism of his performances at Manchester United which led to him being dropped by England for the World Cup qualifier against Austria at Old Trafford - not to mention his eight-month ban for missing a drug test in 2004.

He regained his England place following an injury to Sol Campbell and retained it for the friendly victory against Argentina in Geneva, although both he and John Terry looked uncomfortable against the movement of Hernan Crespo. Ferdinand possesses plenty of pace, which often helps him escape unscathed from momentary lapses in concentration, but looked shaky during United's brief Champions League campaign.

John Terry:
From third choice to first choice in a year, the question is now who partners Terry, rather than where does he fit in. Immense for Chelsea in their title-winning season and strong in the air at both ends of the pitch, Terry is regarded by many as an England captain in waiting.

Unlike Ferdinand, Terry is not blessed with great pace, but his positional sense is uncanny and should help him avoid being exposed. Played a key role in England's qualification for this summer's World Cup in Germany with two vital goal-line clearances against Poland and Austria.

Sol Campbell:
A squad stalwart since Euro 96, the Arsenal defender appears to have fallen down the pecking order. The only England player in history to be named in squads for five successive tournaments - the European Championships of 1996, 2000 and 2004 and the 1998 and 2002 World Cups - Campbell should still make it six in a row however.

His performances during Euro 2004 in Portugal were impressive enough to be named in the all-star squad for the tournament, but injuries have restricted his England performances to only four games since, and his appearances at club level have also been limited.

Campbell even lost his place at Arsenal for a time last season. It would be little surprise if the World Cup marks the finale of his international career, opening the door to younger candidates. He'll be hoping for a strong run to the end of the season to cement his place in Sven's mind.